Disguises
by Kimiko Seraphiel
Summary: Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion meet for the first time. The only thing is, Endymion doesn't know who Serena really is! (please review)
1. Disclaimer

Disclaimer:  
  
Sailor Moon isn't mine. I just bent the characters to my will! muahahaha! well, i hope that disclaimer didn't scare any of my prospective readers off. Now, let's get to the good stuff! 


	2. Chapter 1

Princess Serena gazed at herself in the mirror. She had on a white flowing gown with a golden hemline. Her hair was in its usual style, up in two buns on top of, although somewhat to the sides, of her head. The telltale sign of her royalty shone brightly as it caught in the light. The crescent moon was something that she loved and hated at the same time. She loved it, for if it weren't for her royalty she would not have all of the privilege that she had now. She would not have her dear friends, her Royal Court, if it weren't for that crescent moon. Of course, with privilege, there came responsibilities. One of those responsibilities was marriage. Although she was only fourteen, she was to meet her future husband tonight. He was a young man of nineteen, from the Earth. His name was Darien Endymion, the Prince of the Earth. She had never met this man, and she feared what he would be like. In her heart, Princess Serena knew that her mother would never betroth her to someone who was cruel in any manner, but she still resented her mother for it. This is one of the times that Princess Serena hated that accursed crescent moon on her forehead. A knocking on the door interrupted her thoughts. Princess Serena turned around and faced the door. "Who is it," she demanded.  
"It is me, Sere." The voice sounded somewhat unsure.  
Serenity recognized it immediately. It was Queen Serenity, her mother. "Come in, Mama."  
The doorknob turned slowly and Queen Serenity peeked in, and then entered. "I wasn't sure if you'd want to see me."  
Princess Serena smiled at her mother. "Don't worry, mama. No matter what happens, I will cherish talking to you always." Even if Serenity hated what her mother was doing, she could never go more than two hours without talking to her mom, or saying how much she loved her.  
The tension in her mother's face eased greatly. "I thought you were mad at me, honey."  
Serenity smiled at her mom playfully. "Me, mad at you? Never!"   
The Queen embraced her daughter firmly and then looked at her. "You look so beautiful, sweetheart." She gently kissed her daughter's forehead and felt an aching in her chest. Her little girl was growing up so quickly.  
"Is it time?" The Princess's voice seemed absolutely somber.  
Queen Serenity smiled at her daughter. "Cheer up, honey. It isn't as if you're about to eat your last supper. I know how hard arranged marriages can be. Your father and I were an arranged marriage, in fact."  
"But, I thought you were madly in love with Papa?"  
"Oh, I was, sweetheart. I loved your father more than anything in the world, once I got to know him." A faint smile crossed the Queen's lips as she thought of her late husband, King Astrologis. Oh, how she missed him.  
"I wish that I had gotten to know him."  
"So do I, sweetheart. But now, it's time for you to go to the dining room. Prince Endymion will be there shortly."  
"I'm scared, Mama." Serenity hardly ever acted as young as she was, but now was one of those times.  
"Oh, honey. Everything's going to work out fine. I've met the Prince, and he is a fine young man." She gave her daughter a hug. "Now, are you ready to go?"  
Princess Serena nodded lightly and smiled weakly at her beloved mother. "I suppose I can give him a chance."  
"That's right, Serena. And if you don't like him, we'll give him the boot."  
Princess Serena giggled and walked out of the room boldly, ready to meet the person that she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with.   
Queen Serenity knew that her daughter was frightened out of her mind, but that was understandable. She had been equally as frightened when she and Astrologis had been wed. Queen Serenity was giving her daughter more than most would give their children. She was giving her a chance to fall in love with the person she was to be wed to before the wedding vows were said. That was more than either she or her late husband was given. Although her daughter was not being given the chance to court men as frivolously as some of the other young ladies in the courts, or meet her future husband on her own, Queen Serenity was sure that her daughter would be very happy with Prince Darien Endymion of the planet Earth. They, of course, would not be wed until Serena's eighteenth year, which gave them four years to get to know one another. 


	3. Chapter 2

Princess Serena was sitting at the table in the royal dining room. She was beginning to get antsy, for Prince Endymion hadn't arrived yet. The longer she had to wait, the more frightened she became. She stood up and looked out the window, into the gardens. Serena caught a glance of the Earth as it was floating by. Although she had always dreamed of seeing the world they orbited around, she had never been permitted to go there. Perhaps she could run away and go to the Earth. She would become a gypsy fortuneteller, and she would marry for love. Her unknown husband and herself would be blissfully happy, and have two little carbon copies of themselves running about. Serenity closed her eyes and sighed. She let those whimsical fantasies disappear. She was Princess of the Moon. She was a Moonchild, and with that royal name came responsibilities. Right now, though, those responsibilities were overwhelming her. The thought of having no choice in who she married chilled her to the bone and brought tears to her eyes. What if Prince Endymion was a cold, callous, insensitive man who demanded his women to be coy, demure, soft-spoken, and everything else that cliches demanded women to be? What if Prince Endymion was a stupid man who cared only of hunting, or some other mundane sport? She could not bear to be left to cross-stitch or knit as her husband drank snifters of brandy and smoked cigars, with both parties stuck in a loveless marriage. She could not bare the thought! Princess Serena knew these thoughts were irrational deep down, but they shook her to the core. She fled from the dining room and into the halls of the great palace. She ran out the side doors of the palace, into the garden. The garden always seemed to give her peace. Princess Serena walked up to the fountain that dominated most of her view of the garden from where she was standing. She sat down on the white edge of the fountain and looked at her reflection in the water. Her eyes were red and puffy from the crying she had done on her way to the gardens. She clicked her tongue lightly, scolding herself silently, and cupped her hands in the water to collect some of the frigid, refreshing liquid. She splashed her face lightly, and the cool crispness of it took the swelling and redness away. Princess Serena looked at the crescent moon on her forehead and cursed it softly. Tonight, she would not be Princess Serena, she decided. She would be a normal person, without all the burdens of keeping the planets at peace. She took her hair down and let it cascade down her back in golden waves. She gathered up a section of her freely flowing hair and began braiding it. After plaited, Princess Serena pulled the braid up and made it encircle her forehead, covering the telltale sign of her royalty. She braided the rest of her hair, and tucked it up underneath itself. It looked like the hairdo of someone who might be royalty, but not as far up as Princess of the Moon. She smiled satisfactorily and stood up. Well now, what should she do under this new persona? Princess Serena knew immediately what she would do. She would go to the Earth and explore it as much as she could! Giddy with the thought of that, Serena began skipping down the trail that was in the garden. She was so happy that she was not looking where she was going, and she collided into someone. Who, she could not tell. The collision left her dazed, and she felt herself falling to the ground, but the mystery man caught her just in time. "Whoa, there. Are you okay?"  
Princess Serena felt herself blush immensely, and she straitened out her gown. "Thank you, sir." She looked up at the young man for the first time, and her breath was taken away. He had hair as dark as a raven's wing. His eyes were so blue, and they seemed to gaze right into the very core of her being. This young man's smile was kind and gentle, but there was an animal magnetism in him, and she was acutely aware that under his boyish demeanor laid a man of great strength. She felt herself blush even deeper, and she looked away from him.  
She didn't see it, but she could feel the man smile at her. "So, um, can I ask your name?"   
She looked at him and nodded, smiling in a shy manner. "My name is Pr… Pricilla."  
"Pricilla? That's a lovely name."  
"Thank you. May I ask what your name is?"  
The young man smiled at her. "My name is Darien Endymion."  
She gasped audibly. "You mean Prince Darien Endymion?"  
"The one and only." Darien Endymoin looked at Pricilla, taking in her features. She looked as if she was either fourteen or fifteen. Her eyes were as blue as the bluest skies on Earth, and her hair was as golden as the wheat fields that rolled gently on the plains of the central continent, although her hairdo was not flattering. It would be better to let it flow freely down her back, so everyone could see the true luster and beauty of it. Pricilla was a petite girl, and her skin was as fair as the snow in the far northern reaches of his home planet.   
There was a look in her eyes that he could only distinguish as shock. In a few moments, though, that wore off. "Prince Darien Endymion, hmm? Aren't you supposed to meet the princess tonight?"  
Darien winced inwardly when the princess was mentioned. "Yes, but I haven't been able to bring myself to go into the dining room yet."  
"Why is that? You know it's bad manners to be late for the meeting of your future wife." She smiled playfully at him.  
"I know… it's just…well…I'm scared." Why was he admitting this to a total stranger? He had not even told his dear sister, Melanie, that he was frightened.  
"Scared of Princess Serena? Why, she is no more threatening than a fly on a wall."  
Was she teasing him? This Pricilla was certainly high-spirited. "I'm not scared of her. I'm more scared of the thought of marrying a complete stranger. What if she isn't what I want in a wife?"  
He feels exactly the same way I do. Maybe I should tell him who I am. But… if I do, then it would ruin everything. "What do you mean, Prince Endymion?"  
"Please, call me Darien."  
"Very well. What do you mean, Darien?"  
"Well, I have heard that she possesses unparalleled beauty, and that she is absolutely charming, and that's all well and good, but those things aren't important to me. To me, a woman who isn't beautiful on the inside isn't beautiful at all. The plainest person can be lovely, if you truly care for them. I could never care for a person who only cares about throwing tea parties and balls, or how her hair looked…" Darien stopped short and blushed. "But I know the princess isn't that way, mind you. It's just, I have a way in my mind how I want my future wife's personality to be, and what if she doesn't live up to the personality traits that…" He stopped completely when he noticed her face. It was in complete mocking, an amused smirk on her face. Darien felt himself blush, which was odd for him. "You think I'm being silly."  
"Can I speak frankly to you?"  
"Of course, Pricilla."  
"You have some irrational fears." Of course, who am I to talk?  
Darien smiled at her and breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought you were going to say I was being totally stupid or macho or self-centered or something like that." Serena was beginning to see that underneath Prince Darien Endymion's somewhat hard exterior laid the heart of a person unsure of himself, which was true of most teenagers, she supposed.   
She looked at his hand and noticed for the first time that there were roses in them. They were Serena's favorite type of flower. "Are those for the princess?" She motioned to the flowers.  
Darien looked at the flowers and blushed, he then nodded. "I don't know why I brought her flowers. She'd probably much prefer jewelry or another valuable trinket of some sort."  
"I don't know about that. Most girls enjoy receiving flowers, especially roses."  
"Have you ever received a rose, Pricilla?"  
"Me? Well, no. Why?"  
"Here you go," Darien plucked one of the roses from the bouquet and handed it to her, smiling. "I hope you enjoy it."  
Serena took the rose and sniffed the soft, delicate petals and smiled. "It's lovely, Darien. Thank you." She was truly grateful for the rose. Darien seemed to be a sweet young man.  
"The Princess is probably waiting for me…" He looked towards the palace and sighed, a somewhat displeased look on his face.  
"You don't wish to meet her?" Serena looked at him curiously.  
"No, it isn't that. I know I'm going to have to meet her sometime…it's just…well…I enjoy your company so much."   
"I enjoy your company, too, Darien."  
Darien looked thoughtful for a few moments, and then looked at Serena. "Where were you going before we bumped into each other, anyway?"  
"Well, I was going to go to the Earth. I've never been there, and I wish to see it ever so badly."  
"The Earth? Why, you can't go there without a proper escort, my lady."  
"Oh, and why is that?" A flash of anger went through Serena. How dare he tell her what she can and cannot do?  
"Now, don't get cross with me. What I mean is, you won't know what to go see without someone who knows what's good there. Why don't I take you there, give you the grand tour?"  
"What about your date with the princess? It will leave a bad impression if you don't make an appearance."  
Darien smiled at her and took her hand. "Let me worry about the princess. Right now, my thoughts are on you, Pricilla."   
They walked/ran to the transporters, dodging the guards by ducking into the shadows and behind corners, stifling laughter the whole way. Serena hadn't had such fun since…well…. Since before she could remember. They got to the closest transporter, and Darien punched in the coordinates for Planet Earth. "Well, here we go." He gave her a mischievous smile, and they disappeared, on their way to Darien's home planet. 


	4. Chapter 3

Queen Serenity was in her room, reading a book about two people falling in love, and living happily ever after. She sighed wistfully. Oh, if only it truly happened that way. Love was not a pretty thing. Although that sounded very cynical, and perhaps it was, it was true. Serenity had learned that the hard way, with her late husband Astrologis. She shook her head and went back to reading. She would not think of him and what had happened. In fact, she did not even know if her husband was dead. She would never dare speak of that with anyone, though. It was best that no one, especially her beloved daughter, know.   
Serenity looked back at her book and sighed. The words were there, but she could not read them tonight. Her mind was on other things. Would her daughter like Prince Darien? She prayed to the Goddess that she would. Of all the things Queen Serenity wanted, her daughter's happiness was most important to her. She looked up at the clock and saw that it was 8 o' clock. The dinner between her daughter and the Prince of the Earth should be winding down, and Queen Serenity could go speak with them, to see how the dinner went. She stood up and looked at herself in the mirror, and nodded approvingly. Queen Serenity walked to the dining room, expecting the two young adults finishing up their meal, but she saw nothing of the sort. There were two plates filled with food, both untouched. Serenity walked over to the chairs, and touched them lightly. They were both cool, as if they hadn't been sat in for awhile. Where were her daughter and the prince? They're in the garden, Serenity told herself. She smiled, once again confident, and walked through the halls and into the garden. Serenity went to the section of the garden that was especially for the plants and flowers indigenous to the planet Earth. Only when they were not in that garden, did Queen Serenity begin to panic. She approached the first guard she saw, and she kneeled to her. "Your Majesty," he looked up at her cautiously, and saw the fear in her eyes. "What is the matter?"  
"Have you seen my daughter or Prince Darien Endymion?"  
"Why, no Your Majesty, I haven't." He stood up. "Are they missing, Majesty?"  
"Yes, they are. Rally your men. I want a search party searching for them within the hour. The moon is small. They won't have very many places to hide."  
"Yes, of course." The man bowed to her and walked quickly to rally the guards as she had asked him to do. How could Serena and Prince Darien be so irresponsible? Oh, Serena had pulled many stunts as a child, but this stunt would be the one that she would have to be reprimanded with. She would also speak to Prince Darien. Serena was still a child, and Queen Serenity was unnerved when she did not know where her daughter was. Prince Darien would have to understand that they would not be allowed to go wherever they please, even though he was technically an adult.  
  
The search on the Moon would be in vain, for Princess Serena and Prince Darien were no longer there. They were on Darien's home, Earth. He was just about to commence the tour of his beautiful planet. He smiled at the Princess, whom he still thought was Pricilla. "Well, are you ready to see the splendors of Mother Earth?"  
Serena smiled and nodded. "Most definitely. Lead the way, Darien."  
"Okay." Darien punched in the coordinates and smiled at her. "This place will take your breath away."  
"I sure hope so. Everything else is beautiful."  
Darien smiled. "And that was just the creek behind the palace," and then Darien pressed the enter key, sending them to their destination.  
They dissolved from the transporter and reassembled at the transporter that they were meant to go to. Darien smiled and took Serena's hand. "Now, close your eyes."  
"Well…" Serena hesitated only momentarily, and then she complied with Darien's wishes.   
He smiled and led her out of the transporter. "There's a step down, Pricilla." She stepped down, and he smiled. He looked around and nodded approvingly. "Open your eyes."  
Serena did as he had said, and gasped audibly. After the shock wore off she smiled. "This is so beautiful, Darien." She gazed at the scenery intently. They were in a field, flowers of different colors as far as they eye could see. The long blades of dry grass blew in the wind, making it look like an ocean of gold. Serena heard something overhead and looked up. There were birds singing their songs, and flying around her head. She reached up, wishing she could touch one, and surprisingly one flew down and landed on her finger.   
Darien approached her from behind and whispered softly in her ear, "Make a wish." The feel of his warm, moist breath against her neck caused pleasurable shivers to go down her spine.   
Serena looked at Darien and felt herself blush from his intent gaze. "It's already come true." She smiled and looked at the bird. It looked at her for a moment, and then flew away. Serena looked back at Darien, and saw a look on his face that she recognized as longing.   
Darien blinked and blushed. He turned away from Serena and cleared his throat. "Well, now, shall we go to our next destination?"  
Serena blinked a few times confused by Darien's actions. It was obvious to her that he wanted to kiss her, but he didn't. She supposed that it didn't really matter. "Yes, my Prince, let's go." She grabbed Darien's hand, and they walked back the short distance to the transporter. "So, where are you taking me now?"  
Darien smiled at her enigmatically. "You'll see, my dear." He punched in the coordinates and pressed the enter button, jetting them to the next stop on their private tour of Mother Earth. 


	5. Chapter 4

Queen Serenity was standing in her throne room, waiting for any word about the whereabouts of her daughter and Prince Darien. She still had no clue as to what had possessed them to run off like that, and off the palace grounds, as well! It was dangerous to wander away from the palace walls, especially since the rumors of there being someone planning to attack the Moon. Queen Serenity began getting angry at Prince Darien's immaturity. Surely he knew how dangerous it was for a fourteen-year-old girl. He would get such a tongue lashing when they were finally found. A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. That must be the guard, and she assumed that they had found Serena and Darien. Queen Serenity straitened her back and looked towards the door. "Enter."  
The door opened a crack, and then slowly opened enough for the man to enter. She recognized him as her head guard, Athens. He took his hat off and bowed to her. "Majesty."  
"Hello, Athens. Have you found them?" She smiled at him gently, but she was worried because he seemed nervous.  
Athens fidgeted with his hat and looked at the ground. "There is no sign of them, Majesty."  
"What? They're not on the Moon!?"  
"No, I'm afraid not. We checked the transportation log, and we saw that there was a transportation from the Moon to the Earth not two hours ago from Transporter Four." Serenity was shocked. How could Darien take her daughter off of the Moon completely? Was he insane? "Um, Majesty… we found this bracelet."   
He stepped forward and handed Serenity the dainty, white gold bracelet. She looked at it and recognized the piece of jewelry immediately. "This is my daughter's bracelet."  
"Yes, it is. We found it near the transporter. Majesty, there was also blood on the transporter."  
"Blood?"  
"Yes. It is our assumption that the princess has been kidnapped, and taken to the Earth."  
Queen Serenity felt herself going weak, so she sat down on the steps that led up to her throne. "Kidnapped?" She could barely hear herself speak those words.  
"Yes, Majesty. We have started a search on the Earth. Now, there wasn't much blood, I don't wish to scare you into thinking your daughter is hurt or wounded. We will find your daughter, and bring her back to safety, I promise you, ma'am."  
"Thank you, Athens." The queen stared into space. Athens could tell that she was shocked and scared, and he couldn't blame her. He stepped out of the throne room and closed the door, so that the queen could let the news soak in. If I ever get my hands on that Darien, he will regret the day he was born, Athens declared to himself.   
  
Darien led Serena out of the transporter and grinned as he saw her reaction. Her eyes widened and she giggled in pleasure. "This is even more beautiful than the field, Darien." She smiled as she gazed upon the huge mountain range. They had a purple tint to them, and they were so high. She imagined that they were even higher than the Moon was tall. Darien slowly put his hand around hers, and she looked up at him. "They're so tall and majestic, Darien. They look so strong and powerful. Are they very old?"  
"They're as old as the Earth, itself. These mountains hold many secrets and treasures that no one could truly understand. They hold a mysterious beauty that intrigues all men who are lucky enough to view them." Prince Darien looked down at her and smiled. "What do you think of them, milady?"  
"I think that you are right. They are mysterious, and so beautiful." Serena looked up at the prince, and saw that he was looking up at the mountain. She felt her heart beat quicker and her finger gently brushed against the palm of his hand. Serena felt something wet on her finger, and she gently pulled her hand away to look at what it was. She gasped when she saw that it was blood. "Darien, you're bleeding!"  
"What?" Darien looked at his hand and crinkled his brow a little. "It must be from the roses. They are beautiful, but the thorns can really bite the skin. Nothing to worry about, Pricilla."  
"Are you sure?"  
"Of course. It is but a scratch." He smiled at her reassuringly, and she nodded, accepting what he said.  
After a few minutes of looking at the mountains and inhaling the fresh scents of the flowers in the foothills, Darien cleared his throat. "Ready to go, Pricilla?"  
Serena nodded and skipped gaily to the transporter. As Darien followed, Serena looked at him curiously. "Where are we going to go now?"  
"Ah, patience my child."  
Serena raised a golden eyebrow and poked him playfully. "I'm not a child. In fact, you're not much older than me."  
Darien grinned and shook his head. "I know, I know. Now, let's go." Darien punched a few buttons, and then they were off to their next destination.  
  
Serena's eyes brimmed with tears from the beautiful scenery she saw. Darien looked down at her and wiped her eyes gently. "It is breathtaking, isn't it milady?"  
"Oh, yes." Serena closed her eyes and smelled the salty air. They were at the ocean this time.   
"Look at the ocean waters, milady. They are so blue and clear and calm. These waters offer a peaceful feeling, do they not? I have not known true peace, but for the times that I have been here. That is, until I met you. With you, I feel happy and serene. Perhaps your name should have been Serenity, for that is what your company gives me." Darien paused when he saw Pricilla stiffen, but he shrugged it off. Perhaps some of the cold seawater had splashed her. "The blueness of this ocean, and of the sky above it, they remind me of your eyes. Every time I see this place, I will be reminded of you, of your beautiful eyes, and of the feelings…feeling of peace you give me."  
Serena looked up at Darien, blushing. "That is awfully sweet of you, Darien." She stopped when she saw the look on his face. It was the same look he had when they had been at the field.   
Darien smiled down at her and then gently ran his finger across her cheek. He went to kiss her, but stopped himself. He couldn't allow himself to fall for this young woman. He was meant for another. Darien cleared his throat and straitened up. "Well, on with the tour." He smiled at her and led her back to the transporter. 


	6. Chapter 5

Serena and Darien were in the transporter, and Darien could tell that she was beginning to get tired. "Now, milady, there is only one more place I wish to show you."  
"Aww, but we just got started!" There was a somewhat whiney twang in her voice, and Serena winced. She was beginning to act adolescent.  
"Now, don't argue with me. I'm your guardian for tonight." He smiled at her and kissed her cheek softly. "This next place is extremely beautiful, but it's also one of the coldest places on Earth. Be prepared for the chill, ok?"  
Serena nodded a little. "I'll try."  
Darien smiled at her in his dashing, playful way and then pressed the coordinates for the next destination.   
When the sequence was complete, Serena could hear the wind howling outside. She looked up at Darien skeptically, and Darien wrapped his cape around Serena. "Now, don't give me that look. I know you'll love it. We can't stay for too long, though."  
Darien opened the door and they walked out. Serena felt the ground give way underneath her, but only a little. Every breath she exhaled turned into a cloud and the ground was covered in a white blanket, with little diamonds decorating it. Serena looked up at the night sky, and saw the white flakes flowing down, like the feathers of an angel. She began shivering a little, and Darien pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her tighter. Darien leaned down and whispered, "what do you think, milady?"  
Serena looked at the scenery a few moments before answering. When she finally did answer, she whispered, "It is so quiet, so pure. I've never seen anything so beautiful, Darien. This place looks like… I don't know… it's magical."  
Darien smiled and nodded, he then said, "I think we had better go ahead and leave. I don't want you catching a chill."  
Serena nodded, although she was reluctant to leave. She and Darien walked back to the transporter, and Darien began punching in the coordinates to the Moon. "Well, it's back to the Moon we go."  
Serena nodded and sighed wistfully. The time was almost here to reveal her true self to him.   
Darien furrowed his brow, and tried to punch the numbers in again. He then scratched the back of his head and looked at Serena, smiling a bit sheepishly. "It seems we can't get back tonight, milady."  
Serena gasped and her eyes widened. "What do you mean?"  
"Well, there's a time when interplanetary transportation is shut down until the next day, and I'm afraid we passed that threshold by at least three hours. It's about one in the morning. We'll just have to wait 'til the transporters reopen to go back."  
"Oh…well…there's no way to get back?" Serena bit her bottom lip gently. She would get into so much trouble, and her mother was probably commencing a search party as they spoke right at this moment.  
"I'm sorry. There's no way back to the Moon tonight. We'll leave early in the morning, though. I promise. Tonight, we can go to this cottage that I own. It isn't the biggest place, but it is extremely nice."  
Serena nodded and feigned a smile. "That sounds wonderful, Darien."  
Darien smiled back at her and punched in the coordinates, and they were off to the cottage of which he spoke.  
  
Miranda walked into Queen Serenity's throne room and bowed to her. "Your Majesty," she said.  
Queen Serenity started, but quickly regained her composure as she looked over at Miranda. "Have you heard anything, Miri?"  
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but I haven't."  
Serenity shoulders slumped and she let out a small sigh. Her head drooped, as if she were going to give up "I cannot believe this has happened."  
Miranda saw that her queen was about to break down, and she hated seeing her crying. "Your Majesty, you must remain strong. We will find her. Princess Serenity's court has told us that they are sure that she has not been harmed."  
"I pray to the goddess that they are correct."  
Miranda walked over to the queen and sat down on the steps that ascended to the throne. "Trust us, Serenity. We will find her."  
Serenity looked down at Miranda and smiled. "You are right. I trust you all, especially you. You have helped me in so many ways."  
Miranda nodded and smiled. "Now, why not go to sleep?"  
"I couldn't possibly."  
She nodded in understanding. "Very well, but don't keep worrying like this, it isn't good for you."  
Queen Serenity nodded a little and looked out the window. Miranda quietly departed so that she could commence her search for the Princess, or at least the plan to get her. The royal court of Queen Serenity knew that Princess Serenity was somewhere on Earth, but they did not know where. The court of the Princess was working on honing in on her location, but that could take awhile, especially if that awful Endymion and Serenity were on the move. 


	7. Chapter 6

Princess Serenity was sitting at the window seat, gazing up at the Moon. Just hours ago she wanted to escape that place, but now she would give anything to be back there. "My mother will be so worried about me," she said more to herself than to Darien.  
Darien smiled at her apologetically. "Don't worry. I'll simply explain to her what happened, and she's sure to understand."  
"If you can get a word in."  
Darien opened his mouth to say something, when he heard Serena's stomach growl. "Are you hungry, Pricilla?"  
Serena nodded. "Just a little. I never ate supper tonight."  
"Me neither." Darien rose, and Serena went to stand up, but Darien motioned her to stay seated. "What kind of host wouldn't serve dinner to his guest? I'll be back with something."  
"You don't need me to help or anything?"  
"Naw, I can do it on my own." He smiled at her and went into the kitchen to fetch them both something to eat.   
Serena stood up and began walking around the room slowly, inspecting it. The cabin was spacious, and it had a quaint homey feeling to it. If she weren't the princess of the Moon, she would definitely love living in a place like this, and with a person like Darien Endymion. She began wondering how he was doing with preparing their supper, so she peeked into the kitchen to see what was taking him so long. Serena almost laughed out loud when she saw him. Darien was covered in flour, and there was something beginning to burn in the oven. Water was boiling over on the stovetop, and there was an unidentifiable object on the plates that she assumed was supposed to be food. Darien was sitting in the midst of the mess, a completely defeated look on his face. Serena suppressed the grin, and walked into the kitchen. Darien looked up at her and straitened up, he also tried fixing his hair, but the black hair turned white with flour. "You don't need any help, do you Darien?" There was an amused smirk on her face.  
Darien smiled in an embarrassed and looked away. "I guess I'm not as good of a cook as I thought."  
Serena laughed a little and shook her head. "You go get cleaned up, and I'll fix us something to eat."  
Darien sighed with relief. "If you insist, Pricilla."  
"Oh, I do. Now, go get cleaned up."  
"Yes, ma'am." Darien went into the bathroom to take a shower while Serena was left to clean up the mess that he made.  
  
The guardian of Mars, Rhiannin, went into the Queen's personal quarters. Rhiannin was one of the exquisite beauties of the Moon Court. She had short, auburn hair with eyes of green. She was one of the tallest of the Court, and one of the most graceful. She was known as the Warrior of the Sailor Scouts, and although her personality on the battlefield was so, in normal society she was soft-spoken, graceful, and very proper. Serenity straitened up immediately and blinked her tears back. "Your Majesty, we believe that the princess is still safe, and the search party will go to Earth tomorrow to search for your daughter and Prince Endymion."  
Serenity nodded, "Has Serena's court been able to pick up on her?"  
"We're afraid not, Your Majesty. They have been working hard, and I am afraid their strength is beginning to wear thin."  
"I know. Perhaps we should let them rest for tonight."  
"Queen, even if we ordered them to desist the search, they would still continue."  
Serenity nodded and sighed. "You are right, Rhiannin. Of course they will continue looking. I am only thankful that Serena will have a court as dedicated as them looking after her once she takes over the throne…."  
Rhiannin saw the fear and grief in Queen Serenity's eyes. "Do not fret, Majesty. We will return your daughter safely to you. I promise."  
Queen Serenity smiled at her and nodded. "I know you will."  
Rhiannin curtsied to her queen and walked out of the throne room to continue the search. 


	8. Chapter 7

Darien came out of the bathroom in a pair of pants, drying his hair with a towel. He saw two sandwiches on the table, as well as a bowl of salad. There were two glasses of lemonade, as well. Pricilla was at the table, waiting for him. Darien felt something deep in his chest and he sighed a dreamy little sigh. He sat down at the table next to Pricilla and smiled at her. "This looks like a good meal, milady."  
She smiled and blushed a little. "Thank you. I just hate to be who has to clean up your mess in the morning." She smiled at him playfully  
Darien laughed and looked at the sandwich. "Shall we eat?"  
"Oh, yes!" Serena picked up her sandwich and began munching greedily. Darien just sort of watched her, not touching his food. Serena stopped eating and looked at him, and started blushing deeply. "Oh, I'm sorry." She set her sandwich down and looked at her plate.  
Darien smiled at her and put his finger underneath her chin. He gently lifted her head so that she was looking into her eyes. "Do not be sorry, I was entranced by your beauty."  
Serena blushed more deeply, but smiled widely. "You have quite a way with words."  
"Only with you." Darien pushed away from the table, and Serena did the same. They both stood up, gazing into one another's eyes.   
"Darien…" She had a feeling deep inside her, a longing. In Darien's eyes, she could see the same longing. Slowly, uncertainly, Serena wrapped her arms around Darien's neck. Darien took her into his arms and lowered his head to seize her lips. Serena closed her eyes slowly as their lips touched each other, sending warm vibrations down to her very core. Darien's arms wrapped around her tighter, pressing their bodies together 'til the only thing keeping them apart were their garments. Serena's hands wandered along Darien's back, brushing across every muscle. She wanted to feel every glorious part of his body, so she nestled deeper into his arms.   
A low moan escaped from Darien's throat, and he started kissing her deeper and more passionately. His arms held her closely and firmly, as if letting her go would mean that she would escape from him. Serena never wanted this moment to end. She yearned to touch more of Darien's body, but she was too nervous to. Darien's hand slowly moved up her body, to her cheek. He caressed it tenderly as he kissed her. His other hand went to her hair and he stroked the golden strands of silk lightly, cherishing her. Slowly, they began making their way to the couch as they kissed. Once they reached their destination, Darien gently and slowly laid Serena down, and he laid himself upon her. Darien's hands slid down Serena's arms, and he took her hands into his, and they intertwined their fingers. Bravely, Serena brushed her tongue across Darien's lips, and he groaned in response, then pressed his body into hers more. Serena ached for something more, but what she did not know.   
Between their kisses, Serena quietly moaned Darien's name. That brought Darien back to reality. He stopped kissing her and quickly slid off of her, hitting the floor. Serena sat up quickly and looked at him, confused. Her hair was mussed up, and her lips swollen from the kissing. "What's wrong, Darien?"  
"This isn't right, Pricilla."   
"How can it not be right?"  
"I am meant for another, Pricilla. I cannot and will not hurt you by…well…you know."  
Serena sighed and nodded. "Of course, I understand." I can't believe that I'm so lucky to be having a man like Darien for a fiancée.  
Darien clenched his jaw and stood up. "You go to sleep, Pricilla. I'll return you to your home tomorrow. I'm going to go take a cold shower right now."  
"But didn't you already take one?"  
Darien looked at her and smirked, shaking his head a little. She was so innocent, yet there was something so mature and seductive about her. You'll just have to get Pricilla out of your mind, Darien. You're promised to someone else. With a sigh, and all of his will power, he left her on the couch to try to ebb some of his desire for her. 


	9. Chapter 8

Early the next morning, Darien woke Serena up. "It's time to go, Pricilla," he whispered softly.  
Serena's eyes fluttered open and she stretched slowly. "What time is it?"  
"Just about seven."  
Serena's eyes flung open quickly, and she sat up strait. "In the morning?"   
Darien smiled at her and nodded. "Now, let's get you home before there's a search party looking for ya."  
It's probably too late for that, Serena thought to herself, but she didn't say anything. "Let's go, Darien." She stood up and straitened her dress out. She just hoped she didn't look too bad. Serena looked at Darien and saw him staring at her intently.  
"You look a sight," he said matter-of-factly.  
Serena blushed deeply and began trying to straiten her dress and hair out. "I'm sorry… I know that I must look…"  
"…Beautiful," Darien cut off.  
"Thank you, Darien. You're too kind." Serena looked down at the ground, blushing, and feeling worth a million bucks. He certainly knew how to flatter a woman.  
They walked to the transportation chamber, and stepped inside. Darien looked at Serena and sighed wistfully. His fingers lingered over the number pad, as though he was hesitant to take her back home. "Pricilla…"  
"Yes, Darien?" She looked at him, and saw a strained, somewhat sad look on his face.  
"I…" Darien trailed off and sighed. "Nevermind." He feigned a smile and punched in the code to the Moon. "Let's get you home."  
Before Serena could say anything, Darien pressed the send button, and they were on their way back to face the wrath of her mother, which was something Serena was not looking forward to at all.  
Darien and Serena stepped out of the transportation chamber, only to be ambushed by a group of Queen Serenity's soldiers. "Princess Serenity! You're safe," one of the guards said.  
"Princess Serenity?" Darien looked at Pricilla, a totally confused look on his face. Before Serena could explain to him what was going on, a guard grabbed Serena and took her away, and she saw that Darien was being put under arrest. The last thing she saw of Darien was him giving her a look that could chill the most bloodthirsty pirate to the bone.  
  
Athens walked into the throne room of Queen Serenity and kneeled before her. "Your Majesty, we have found your daughter. She is completely uninjured."  
"Oh, thank the goddess." Two tons seemed to be lifted from her shoulders when she heard that her daughter was safe. "Did you capture Prince Endymion?"  
"Yes, we did. He is in the dungeon right now."  
"Good. Let him stay there for awhile. I am going to go see my daughter now."  
"Very good, Your Majesty."  
Queen Serenity smiled at Athens. "Thank you so much, my dear friend."  
Athens smiled at her and nodded. "Anything for you, milady."   
"Oh, Athens, bring Darien to me in an hour. I will speak to him then, to tell him his punishment."  
"As you wish, my Queen." He bowed to her, and walked out of the throne room. He was going to teach this Prince Endymion a lesson. 


	10. Chapter 9

Prince Darien was sitting on a straw cot in one of the dankest dungeons that he had ever been in. Of course, this was the only dungeon that he had ever been in, but that was beside the point. All he could think about was Pricilla was actually Princess Serena, and how much of a fool she probably thought him to be. The more he thought of what happened, the angrier he got. She had deliberately deceived him, and for what purpose? Was it supposed to be a field test? Was it just fun for her? And how could her mother think that he would actually kidnap her? She had held countless interviews with him before he could even meet the princess. Of course, the only reason he really did it was because of his parents, but still, he answered all of her questions truthfully, and he was always forthcoming with her. Right now, he was being treated about as good as a worm. Darien was lost in his thoughts, so he didn't hear it when the head guard came in. "Get on your feet, right now," he ordered gruffly.  
Darien looked at the disrespectful guard defiantly, but he rose to his feet as he was commanded to do. "Why are you doing this to me," Darien demanded.  
The guard gave Darien such an evil look that he thought that he would shrivel up and die right there. "You kidnapped the princess, there is no other reason that we need!"  
"You don't understand! I didn't kidnap her!"  
"Just shut up," the guard commanded. He then quickly coiled his arm back and punched Darien directly on the eye, flinging him backward onto the cot.  
Darien grabbed his assaulted eye as a reflex. It felt like it would explode! "Goddess, man, did you have to do that," Darien exclaimed, shocked.  
He didn't get a reply. The guard simply grabbed Darien's arm and forced him up. "The queen wants to see you, boy." Darien was half-dragged, half-pushed to the throne room, which was where Queen Serenity was. The ruffian of a guard basically threw Darien into the throne room face-first, and then looked at the queen. "If he gives you any trouble, just give me a shout Majesty."  
Queen Serenity turned to the guard and nodded. "Thank you very much, Astrologis." The guard nodded and walked out of the throne room, closing the door behind him. The queen turned around and looked at Darien, her eyes icy. "I cannot believe you would do such a thing, Darien Endymion." Her voice was a mixture of distrust, hate, anger, and disappointment.  
"Your Majesty, I…"  
Queen Serenity cut him off. "Silence, Darien! You do not know how much trouble you are in! Speaking will just make your punishment even more severe."  
Darien opened his mouth to say something, but snapped it shut quickly when he saw the look that Queen Serenity was giving him.  
"You will stay here. I will be back shortly. Do not try to escape, for the guards will most likely kill you on site. To say you are not well liked at the moment is quite an understatement. Do you understand?"  
Darien nodded and clenched his jaw. If he ever got his hands on that scheming Princess Serena he'd… well, he'd do something! Because of her, he was in deep trouble with Queen Serenity, and he would definitely have a black eye before the night was through. Darien touched his eye and flinched. Yes, he would most definitely have a quite a shiner.  
  
Princess Serena was sitting on the edge of her bed, chastising herself for her stupidity the previous night. Why did she even agree to leave the moon? She should have known that Darien would get into trouble! "You are such a ditz, Serena," she said to herself. Darien probably hated her right now. She knew that she would hate herself if she were him. Serena almost hit the ceiling when she heard someone knock on the door, because she was so deep in her thoughts. Serena held onto her chest, as if keeping her pounding heart in her rib cage. "Come in," she said through the door.  
Her mother came into her room and walked over to the bed, and sat down. "Oh, sweetheart, I was afraid I would never see you again!" Queen Serenity wrapped her arms around her daughter and held her close.  
"I'm so sorry I worried you, Mama." Serena hugged her mother in return.  
"Don't apologize. I'm the one who's sorry. I had no idea that Darien was like that. He seemed so decent when I spoke to him before you met."  
"It wasn't his fault at all, Mama. I tricked him into believing I wasn't who I am."  
Queen Serenity made a scoffing sound. "How could he be so stupid as to believe something like that? Don't try to protect him, darling."  
"I'm not trying to protect him, I'm telling you the truth. I disguised myself so that he wouldn't recognize me! Look at my hair, Mama. The crescent moon is hidden by a braid."  
Serenity raised one of her delicate silver eyebrows and looked at her daughter's hairstyle, and it was as Serena had said. "Why would you do that? Do you know how worried you had everyone up here?"  
"I'm so sorry, Mama. I had no intention of going off of the Moon. It just sort of happened. I disguised myself because… I don't know… because I was scared of meeting Darien, I suppose. I'm so sorry, Mama." Tears threatened to fall from Serena's eyes as she realized the true severity of what she had done.  
Queen Serenity looked at her daughter for a few moments. "Go to the garden and wait for Darien there. I believe you owe him an apology." Serena nodded and walked out of her room, and started to the gardens, dreading what harsh words Darien might have to say to her.  
  
Darien had been standing at the window, looking at his home from the throne room, where he was being kept. His eye was swelling shut from the punch that the thug of a guard had thrown at him. Darien Endymion, how could you have been so stupid? You idiot! He chided himself silently. Hopefully Serenity would set things strait, so he wouldn't have to spend the night in that horrid dungeon. One of the large, wooden doors opened and Darien turned around and stiffened. When he saw it was Queen Serenity he bowed to her deeply. "Your Majesty."  
The queen approached Darien and bowed her head lightly to him. He looked at her questioningly, and saw an apologetic look in her pale, blue-colored eyes. "I am sorry for accusing you wrongfully, Prince Endymion. There is someone waiting for you in the gardens."  
"Princess Serena?" Queen Serenity just nodded, so Darien bowed to her again and walked through the impressive halls of the Moon Palace, to the garden where he and Serena had first met, and surely enough there she was. Darien approached her and cleared his throat, announcing his presence.  
Serenity's back straitened as if there were a steel rod in it, and she turned around. "Prince Darien! Hello…"  
"Hello Princess Serenity." Darien's voice sounded harsh and cold, and Serenity winced from it.  
"I…I didn't mean for it to go that far, Prince Endymion…" Serena said uncertainly.  
"Well, it did. And I unintentionally caused the queen much fear because of your lies!"  
Serena's cerulean eyes began shimmering with tears. He would never give her a chance now, she thought. "I-I'm sorry…" she stuttered uncertainly and then looked down.  
Darien's anger instantly flooded away when he saw how vulnerable she could be. He walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her slim, petite body. "Think nothing of it." He smiled. "At least we had fun, right?"  
Serena cuddled into Darien's arms slightly and nodded. "And some fears were put to rest, as well."  
Darien smiled and kissed the top of her head lightly. "Yes, they were."  
Princess Serena looked up into Darien's stormy, gray-blue eyes and smiled, she then pulled his head down and kissed him softly. Darien gasped slightly from her straitforward move, but began kissing her back. Slowly, the kiss was broken, and both parties smiled dreamily. Darien broke the magical silence by speaking. "Let's never hide anything from one another again, okay Serena?"  
Serena just nodded, her heart soaring from this new feeling that was filling her heart. Could it be love? And, could that shimmer in Darien's eyes be a growing affection for her? Princess Serenity could only hope. 


End file.
